By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
Ogun State Government has asked the Federal Government to relinquish to it, some of the roads linking it to Lagos State, for development.
Governor Dapo Abiodun spoke on Thursday in Abuja with State House Correspondents after holding a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
Abiodun, who visited President Buhari with former Ogun State governor Chief Segun Osoba, said the aim of seeking the transfer of the roads is to commercialise them.
He said the roads include Shagamu to Ikorodu road, Epe to Ijebu-Ode road and Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road.
He said the roads would be rehabilitated and upgraded by the state, adding that Ogun had already secured financing for this purpose.
Abiodun said that easy access to the state would impact positively on the economic potentials of the state.
The governor said the state is seeking the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Government in its agriculture programme.
“Our state today is the closest state to the biggest economy in this country. It is important that people can move between our state and Lagos and also to the hinterland.
“Today, the busiest highway in this country passes through Ogun State. You cannot travel between Lagos and the rest of the country without passing through our state.
“So we came and told the President that there are alternative routes apart from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The truth is that even when the construction is completed, that highway does not have the capability to accommodate the traffic that has now gone beyond what was anticipated.
“That highway cannot carry that traffic. So we must begin to look for alternative routes. What comes to mind is the Shagamu to Ikorodu road, the Epe to Ijebu-Ode road and the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road. These are alternative roads that will allow for us to efficiently move people from Ogun to Lagos and vis-a-vis and the rest of the country,” he said.
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